Official NHL 2005-2006 Season Thread

[Neemo]

The first big move to "Free Cap Space" - Sergei Fedorov to Blue Jackets

[Rob]

Something just doesn't seem right.  Sergei Fedorov playing in Columbus?  It just seems weird.

[Neemo]

Pretty scary situation in Detroit last night. D Jiri Fischer had a seizure and his heart stopped on the bench during the 1st period & the game was cancelled. He is apparently doing well now though.

[D]

Sidney Crosby was amazing again tonight, this guy needs to be marketed like hell cause he is the real deal and the future of the NHL.

[Skeba]

There are a lot of great players in NHL right now, and Sidney's definately one of them. I don't know if he has to be marketed in any way. His actions will speak volumes on behalf of the sport (not talking about not signing autographs after a 9 game losing streak.. ). Though that's just me. I think over here in Finland people who would follow NHL, would do it anyways, and the sport is so big here, so that NHL will always have a certain amount of coverage.

As a Pens fan I'm just glad that they have a real chance of getting to the playoffs and that they can actually go out there and play to win every night. Now they go on a 2 game away trip, and hopefully return with 4 more points to show. Florida is never easy though (robbed Pens the last time at the Igloo), and Tampa will most likely be even harder. But Caron has played well, hopefully he'll get the start.

One thing I don't get though... Why aren't they using Fleury? The guy's had 3-4 starts. Has been great in every one of them, came out with a win the last time, and they still keep sending him to the baby-pens..

[D]

Crosby is the key to getting the NHL back popular in the States.
He is amazing,a nice lookin kid and has the skill to do it but the NHL have to do it right cause I am not really a hardcore fan but I love watching him and the other rookie from Washington play.

[Neemo]

One thing I don't get though... Why aren't they using Fleury? The guy's had 3-4 starts. Has been great in every one of them, came out with a win the last time, and they still keep sending him to the baby-pens..

He's kinda been playing like shit, I think when they sent him down last year after playing amazing it really fucked him up, he started this year in AHL didn't he?

I agree though they should get him in there and boost his confidence up again cuz he was awesome last year before they sent him down. And him, Crosby and Jackman are the Pens the future so what the hell right?

There are so many great rookies this year it's crazy. I think Ovechkin is a bit more impressive though, look at the Pens team compared to the Crapitals team then compare Ovechkins #'s to Crosby's #'s and you see why

[Skeba]

What do you mean he's been kinda playing like shit??

His GAA is the lowest the Pens have on their roster, so is his save percentage. He also leads the AHL with the smallest GAA (1.53) and the highest save percentage. And from what I've listened (radio on the internet) and read, he's pretty much stopped everything there has been to catch. Personally, I think Thibault hasn't been at all what the Penguins expected him to be.

I say give him more ice time.  And yeah.. He started in the AHL with Caron and Thibault on the Pens roster. Caron has been pretty good, but I say sell Thibault, and give Marc-Andre the chance he deserves.

About Ovechkin. He's unbelieveable. But I don't think that his numbers would be a whole lot bigger if he had better players by his side. Sure he'd get some more chances, but from what I've gathered he tends to make his moves by himself, and I don't know if he'd make use of his fellow linesmen to the degree that Crosby's doing. Of course we can't really say for sure either way because he doesn't really have the chance at the moment. But if you look at some of the plays Crosby's been making, a guy in a wheelchair could've scored from the places he's passed the puck to.. But as far as solo efforts go, I think Ovechkin has made some unbelieveable goals, that Crosby hasn't been able to answer. Not that it's a contest..

[Neemo]

What do you mean he's been kinda playing like shit??

His GAA is the lowest the Pens have on their roster, so is his save percentage. He also leads the AHL with the smallest GAA (1.53) and the highest save percentage. And from what I've listened (radio on the internet) and read, he's pretty much stopped everything there has been to catch. Personally, I think Thibault hasn't been at all what the Penguins expected him to be.

To tell you the truth, I didn't research to back up my claim, sorry, my bad. I just remeber the losing streak at the start of the year where he was in the minors and when called up he couldn't win either. I was just basically saying that he more than deserved to have been given the #1 role at the beginning of this year considering his play last year. I have no idea why they got Thibault in the first place

Don't get me wrong, I didn't mean to slag him, I think Fleury is a huge talent, and i think he's ready. Hand the reins over Mario!!!!

[Skeba]

I know you didn't... I just thought if you had seen the games somewhow, you might have some info that I've missed.

[Neemo]

I know you didn't... I just thought if you had seen the games somewhow, you might have some info that I've missed.

No I'm stuck in Maple Leafs Country

[Skeba]

Okay... So much for Caron making the saves. allowed 3 out of 7 shots before changed to Thibault who wasn't too impressive either.

[Kujo]

Neither team was playing much in the way of defense, luckily for the Panthers though Luongo snapped back into form from the beginning of the year making some extremely acrobatic saves.

This was my second chance to see Sidney Crosby and he is just an amazing player. He made a couple plays tonight that just left me shaking my head in amazement and eventually led to me muttering "Oh Shit" every time he touched the puck.

Crosby did get hit with a puck in the foot in the 3rd and took awhile to get up. He continued on in the play but was favoring the leg heavily when he did leave the ice. Should be something to keep an eye on for the next game.

[Mama Kin]

One thing I don't get though... Why aren't they using Fleury? The guy's had 3-4 starts. Has been great in every one of them, came out with a win the last time, and they still keep sending him to the baby-pens..

He's kinda been playing like shit, I think when they sent him down last year after playing amazing it really fucked him up, he started this year in AHL didn't he?

I agree though they should get him in there and boost his confidence up again cuz he was awesome last year before they sent him down. And him, Crosby and Jackman are the Pens the future so what the hell right?




There are so many great rookies this year it's crazy. I think Ovechkin is a bit more impressive though, look at the Pens team compared to the Crapitals team then compare Ovechkins #'s to Crosby's #'s and you see why

He's not playing because of his contract. He gets a bonus if he plays in "X" number of games and reaches certain goals during the season. Basically, the Pens could never afford his contract, which is why he's always sent down.

[Skeba]

Now they go on a 2 game away trip, and hopefully return with 4 more points to show.

Or nothing.. Nothing's pretty good too..

[Neemo]

He's (Fleury) not playing because of his contract. He gets a bonus if he plays in "X" number of games and reaches certain goals during the season. Basically, the Pens could never afford his contract, which is why he's always sent down.

Yeah I know, pretty shitty IMO but what can you do right? oh well. Did Crosby play this weekend or did he it? (cuz of his foot? is that what he hurt? A puck in the skate or something)

Friggin' Legace hurt his knee again, it's prolly still hurt from that Barnaby incident. That guy is such a fucking loser, I've always hated him, even back when he played for the Sabres.

[Mama Kin]

Yeah, Crosby played. Also, Thibault was placed on waivers and Fleury called up with the intention of being the starting goalie.

[Skeba]

Well, the Pens lost even with Fleury starting. Though it was only by a goal and from what I read, Palffy had a post, and Crosby was robbed with a diving stick save, so it could've gone either way.

Thibault declined the offer to go to AHL to work on his game. I hope the Pens don't have to pay him his salary. He's been awful for the beginning of the season.

[sandman]

joe thorton traded? WOW!!

here's an article from today's philadelphia daily news. good writer and he gives his thoughts on the current state of the "new" NHL.


Rich Hofmann | So far, net result of rule changes has been positive
 
THE FLYERS had 33 shots on goal last night and the New Jersey Devils had 31. Not that this is a huge deal or anything, but the last time these two teams both had more than 30 shots on goal in a game - against each other, that is - it was, well, a long time ago.

It wasn't earlier this season, and it wasn't in 2003-04, and it wasn't in 2002-03, and it wasn't in 2001-02, and that's as far back as the game-by-game stats go on the NHL Web site. So despite getting close once or twice, it was before that. In other words, it was before Jeff Carter and Mike Richards had driver's
licenses.

Yet this was a quiet game in the new NHL. This was a 2-1 Flyers victory that was, for the most part, pretty under control. This is what the sport has come to: A 64-shot combined effort by divisional rivals who have been bludgeoning each other for a decade can now be described as a "playoff game" by one of the coaches, the Flyers' Ken Hitchcock.

And the critics get quieter and quieter. Goaltenders don't like it, understandably. Defensemen don't like it either, also understandably. So while Eric Desjardins, who has seen just about everything there is to see in the modern NHL, could take a little solace in the fact that there still can be this kind of game under the league's new rules, he wasn't kidding himself.

As he said, "You're going to have games like this night, but overall, over 82 games, you're going to have more offense.
"Defensive play is going to get better. We're starting to adjust to the speed... But you're still going to see the three-on-twos because you can make those two-line passes now. You've just got to be more alert."

What once was jarring, just 2 months ago, is now just about comfortable. The players have settled down, it seems, understanding better what is and isn't allowed anymore - especially when it comes to contact in front of the net. The officials have settled down, too, swallowing their whistles now on some of the more minor infractions. The game is better now than it was at the start of the season, and the officiating is less intrusive.

But the scoring remains up, and the style of play - especially in the wild, wide-open neutral zone - is outrageously easy on the eyes. There was a time that, scanning past an NHL game between two teams you didn't care about on television, there was no reason to stop. Now, as often as not, stopping for even 10 seconds rewards you with a scoring chance - or, at least, the great first few strides of a defense-to-offense transition, with open ice and churning acceleration and the rising voice of the announcer and the possibility of something you might remember.

That is what this is about - whether or not you like it, and whether or not you embrace it. It isn't about what the goalies think or the defensemen think or the coaches think. This was done for you and me, not for them. This was done by a league desperate to reconnect with fans after a disastrous lockout cost them the 2004-05 season.

And the best news is that the trend is continuing in the right direction. Despite the example of many prior years, when good intentions about rule changes died a slow but steady death as the playoffs approached, this thing is still working.

After 97 games, the NHL did a study. Scoring was at a combined 6.2 goals per game, compared to 4.7 in 2003-04. There were 13.2 power plays per game, up from 10.4, and more power-play scoring as a result.

Well, now we can look at the next 269 games (not including last night). As everyone got
used to the rules and adjusted accordingly, the power plays did go down a little bit, to 12.3 per game. But, even with that, scoring was up slightly after those first 97 games, to 6.3 goals per game.

The numbers tell a story - that a lot of this is not necessarily about the officiating, but rather that it is baked into the other rules changes, such as allowing two-line passes and enlarging the attacking zones and shrinking the goaltending equipment.

And another thing: The no-tolerance officiating at the start of the year has altered behavior. That seems obvious. And it looks good.

[Neemo]

I can't believe they traded him? WTF?!

He's such an amazing talent. his 33 pts mean he has been in on approx 41% of all Boston's goals this year so far. and how will Samsonov and Murray fair without Joe? and Stuart, Sturm Primeau have combined for only 36 pts. all I can say is WTF Scoring has not been the Bruins problem.

Stuart is an alright defensman but he's not that great, definately not better than Slegr and Leetch, so that means he'll be 2nd line and i cant see Sturm breaking top line. Primeau is barely half the player his brother is and I don't really think Keith is all that great. Stupid, stupid move for the bruins IMHO. oh well, it's just too bad he didn't go to a good team. I would've dangled him for a goalie (well i would've never have traded him to begin with but if it was absolutely necessary it would've been for a goaltender.)